This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah is home to unparalleled natural beauty, magnificent settings and amazing places to recreate. Those natural assets and Utahans' hospitality have created one of the country's strongest recreation economies.
By all rights, Utah should be at the forefront of promoting the outdoor industry, including public policies that are at its foundation. Instead, the state has gotten stuck in age-old discussions of state versus federal authority.
It's time to start climbing back to the top — for Utah's leaders to declare their commitment to a welcoming outdoors, and to support the public lands that sustain one of this state's largest, healthiest, most sustainable sectors.
This week, the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market hosts its final trade show in Salt Lake City. In 2018 and for at least five years to come, trade shows will be held next door in Denver.
There's no mistake. Colorado's Front Range is spectacular. Denver also won because Colorado leaders of all stripes — Republican and Democrat — have embraced outdoor recreation as integral to quality-of-life and business.
They recognize the value of an industry that contributes $887 billion to national GDP and supports 7.6 million jobs. They've followed that up with support for public lands at the state and federal levels.
It's now history that the trade show was put up for bid only after different Utah leaders continually raised doubts about whether national public lands – rich with natural wonder and sustainable recreation opportunity – would be stewarded for those purposes, or treated as expendable.
Ostensibly, states' rights was the goal. That misses the point. America's great outdoors is about so much more. The outdoors is integral to American heritage and our shared future.
Envied around the world, our outdoor places are the reason why so many people travel huge distances to take in our trails, mountains and landscapes. And in our increasingly disconnected and too-often sedentary society, research shows people feel spiritually, mentally and physically healthier after spending time outdoors.
The outdoors is good for ourselves, our families and our communities. At REI, we believe, "a life outdoors is a life well lived."
This Thursday, thousands of us attending the show will walk to Utah's Capitol to celebrate public lands. It will be a nonpartisan statement about why investing in our natural infrastructure is vital to livelihoods, quality-of-life and the outdoor economy.
We see these questions as neither left nor right, blue nor red. We talk about being "united outside."
REI co-op has been in Salt Lake City since the early '80s. Now, we employ over 200 Utahans; have 290,000 co-op members statewide; and continually invest in local nonprofits. We buy product from over 50 Utah-based companies. We deeply value and are grateful to be part of the community.
For the health of our public lands and what they mean to future generations, we simply call on all policymakers, here and in Washington, to stand up strongly for our sector — a pillar of a strong economy and for the outdoor way of life.
Jerry Stritzke is the president and CEO of REI, a specialty outdoor clothing and equipment retailer, with headquarters in Kent, Wash.